Steam and hot-water heater



(N6 Mdael.) 5 sheets-sheet 1.

l W. C. HIGGINS.

STEAM AND HOT WATER HEATER.

Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

5 sheets-sheet 2.

v (No Model.)

W C HIGGINS STEAM AND EoT WATEE EEATEE.

No. 537,202. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. C. HIGGINS.

STEAM AND 'HOT WATERHBATER.' No. 537,202 Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

l (No Model.)

W C HIGGINS n v STEAM AND EOT WATER EEATEE.

No. 537,202. Patented Apr. 9, 1895".

5 Sheets-Sheet 5'.

(N0 Model.)

W. C. HIGGINS. STEAMr AND HOT WATER HEATER.

Patented Api. 9, 1895.

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NITED SrATi-s4 STEAM AND HOT- PATENT Prion.

WERTER CIIGGINS, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

WATER HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming pal-t of Letters Patent No. 537,202, datednpril e, 1 895.

Appetite@ ineaoctober 1, 1894.

ments on a sectional heater patented to me- February 9, 1892, .No. 468,423, which was specially and peculiarly constructed to cut up the water space and present the same to the ire. Provision was also made in my said earlier heater for the free and unobstructed flow of the heated waters upward, and the questions of economy and practicability in assembling the several heater sectionswere Vgiven due consideration. l

My present invention contemplates further improvements having specially in view, irst,

' an improved draft system whereby the caloric products may be most advantageously utilized; second, certain improvements in the form of the heater sections providing a more positive and free escape for the heated Waters and which also tends to produce and maintain direct currents of heated water upward and of the cooler waters downward, thus avoiding conflicting currents and insuring more perfeet circulation than has ordinarily been attained, and, third, an arrangement of steam dome by which a steam generator of great capacity may be set up in cellars, or other places, where the head space is limited, thus avoiding the expense and'annoyance of digging pits for such generators, as frequently practiced. The drawings annexed hereto illustrate my said improvements.

Should a detailed description of the complete generator, and of the manner of assembling its various parts, be desired, reference is hereby made to my said earlier patent, No. 468,423. v

It is my purpose to provide a sectional ashpit for use-with the boiler sections here shown,

but as said ash-pit is expected to be of the form and construction shown in said Patent, No. 468,423, I have thought it unnecessary to illustrate it here. The front or door plate Serial No. 524,580. (No model.)

will also be substantially the same as heretofore.

Figure 1` of the annexed drawingsis a vertical section, frorn front to rear, of a generator embodying Vmy present improvements, said View being taken on line x-x of Figs. 2 and 6. Fig. 2 is a front face view, in elevation, of the front boiler section, that is to say the section immediately in the vrear of the yplate to which are hung the various doors of the heater, said front section being illustrated here as made in two half parts that separate at the Vertical center of the complete section. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively outer and inner edge views of one half part of said front boiler section and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the same on line y-y of Fig. 2. Fig.' 6 is an elevation of one of my so called intermediate sections and Fig. 7 is an inner edge View of the left hand half of said section looking in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 8 and 9 are crosssections of said intermediate section on lines 1/-y and .e-z respectively. Fig. 10 is an ele`y vation of a boiler section which,if used, is located immediately at the back of the tire-pot, and Fig. llvis an inner edge view of one of thev half .parts 'of said section. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view on line y-y of Fig. 10, and Fig. 13 illustrates the manner of producing tight joints between the adjoining boiler sections, this feature being however the same as in my earlier patent. Fig. 14 is an elevation of the rear boiler section and Fig. 15 is an inner edge view of one half of said section. Figs. 16 and 17 are cross-sectional views on lines y-y and z-z, respectively, of said rear boiler section. Fig. 18 (Sheet 1) is an elevation on a reduced scale of the rear end of the heater of my improved form showing particularly the means provided for conveying the drip, or condensed steam, from the dome.

In the drawings the reference figures 2O indicate the front boiler section; 2l, the intermediate sections, of which any desired number may be used; 22, the rear section, and 25 a section similar to the intermediate but.

having a hollow cross-wall 23 that serves as IOO sections 2l, and its firewall section 2,3,are each formed with depending central columns 2i and inclined lateral hollow arms 25, located within the fire chamber, as in my said earlier heater, for I have found this construction to be most satisfactory in conducting the heated water to the upper part of the boiler, but I have also learned by experience that the heated water also seeks to rise in the hollow columns 26 which forms the sides of the several sections and conflicting currents are formed in said columns because of the efforts of the cooler waters to pass down ward-th rough said columns. To remedy this defect and to induce and maintain unobstructed currents .of heated water upward and of the cooler wacurving outward, the outer wall of each boiler section, as at 26C. l

I have also enlarged and improved, materially, the upper portion of each boiler section by curving the side walls outward, as at 27, beginning said curves at points opposite the upper ends of the plates 26. (See Fig. 6.)

The hottest water in a boiler of mydescribed construction is that within the central column 24 and the arms 25 aiid this water, in its efforts to rise, passes upwardand is followed by the cooler waters that have simultaneously passed downward through columns 26. As the hot water passes upward it is discharged into the enlarged chamber at the upper end of each boiler section and, naturally, flows toward the curved walls 27 to fill the space vacated by the cooler waters, which latter have moved downward through the passages 26h; the course of the waterbeing clearly indicated by arrows in Fig. Got' the drawings. When the hot water is discharged into` the enlarged upper chamber and fiows laterally, as shown and explained, it strikes the curved wall 27 and is deflected with the least possible resistance and guided by said wall in the proper direction to enter the passage 26b without materially checking the flow of said water. By thus combining with the columns 24: and arms 25 of my old form of heater, the plate or diaphram 26 and the curved upper wall 27, I am able to induce and maintain a positive and constant circulation which permits the hot water to pass upward most freely and thus brings the cooler waters promptly into position to be acted upon by the fire.

It will be noticed that the sections 20-21- 22--23 are here shown in two half parts, the line of junction being at the vertical center of each complete section. This construction renders it practicable to produce and assemble with comparative case, vervlarge boilers of this class and it is also valuable in that the inner vertical Walls (at the line of junction of the two half parts) preclude the for mation of cross currents of water in the dcscribed enlarged chamber in the upper por tion of the boiler sections. I prefer therefore to make the boiler sections in two half parts although for use in heaters of moderate size they may be a single casting as heretofore.

The steam dome of my present heater is cylindrical and is indicated by the reference figures 28. Said dome has heretofore been located above the boiler sections and connected with the latter by nipples having right and left hand threaded ends, but such construetion I find is sometimes objectionable, particularly in low cellars or basements where it is frequently necessary to dig pits to receive the heaterand, to overcome this objection, I have now formed each of the several boiler sections with a depression 2D, in their upper central portion, of such depth that one half', or more, of the. dome may be located below the highest point of said boiler sections, as seen in Fig. 2. Connections are then made with the two half parts of each of said boiler sections by means of `threaded nipples 30 which allow steam to pass from the several boiler sections into the dome.

To remove the drip which accumulates by condensation in the dome 2S a pipe 3l is tapped into said dome atits rear end and connected with branchpipes 32"'-33that lead into manifold pipes 34:-35 that connect the lower portions of the boiler sections and provide for free circulation of the water from section to section. x

I have improved the draft system of my heater in a noticeable degree by utilizing more completely the caloricproducts of combustion than was possible in my earlier form of heater, in which the draft- [lues led from the rear of the combustion chamber toward the front of the heater and discharged directly into thesm'oke pipe. `Inthis present heater asecond system of iiu'es 36 is provided, immediately over the first mentioned, by which the products of combustion are' caused `to travel again the entire length of the boiler and discharge into a smoke pipe? at the rear of said boiler. Of courseI do not seek to claim broadly a return flue, or duplex system of flues, for this class of heaters, but I find that, when combined with the water co1- umns 24 and inclined arms 25 which are immediately in the ir`e-pot, and receive the direct action of the lire, the 'said lines aid materially in reaching a-nd influencing the waters that are beyond such direct action of the fire and a marked economy of fuel is the resuit.

` In the intermediate boiler sections 21-23 the upper horizontal draft openings are indicated by the figures 36 and are three in number for each half section while those of the front and rear sections have but a single IOO IIO

large opening for each half section, this difference ofconstruction/being desirable in order to provide an unobstructed passage and chamber for the turning of the smoke, dac., at the front and for the free discharge of the same at the rear of the heater.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a generator, in combination with the front and rear sections, a multiple of intermediate sections having central vertical water columns connected by inclined lateral pipes with the hollow vertical sides-of said sections, said hollow sides having diaphragme 26n as set forth and being also formed with laterally enlarged upper portions 27, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with front and rear boiler sections, a multiple oi' intermediate sections p having vertical water columns connected by zo Witnesses:

A. HAMMETT, ALONZO M. LUTHER. 

